Red color of ruby – difference ruby and sapphire

Corundum, which is considered a gem quality and has any shade of red or pink, is considered a ruby. In the United States, there are specific requirements regarding the saturation of a ruby. It must meet certain standards to fall into the ruby category, otherwise it is called a pink sapphire.

These include hue, saturation and tone. Hue refers to the color of the ruby as we see it. Saturation determines the visibility of the color. Is it light? Dark? Or somewhere in between? Finally, hue tells us the purity of the color. If it is a pure tone, there are no secondary colors. If it is not a pure tone, it may contain one or more secondary tones such as pink, purple and orange.

• Saturation requirements
• Specific standards: Hue, saturation and tone
• Pure tones or secondary tones like pink, purple and orange

Crystalline structure in close-up:

Mineral group corundum – colourless with trace elements

In its purest form, the mineral corundum is colorless. Trace elements that become part of the crystal structure of the mineral cause variations in its color. Chromium is the trace element that causes the red color of ruby. Rubies are a red variety of the rock corundum. Corundum is the second hardest mineral after diamond, with a Mohs hardness of 9. You probably already know this mineral from our article about the blue, green, pink or orange mineral corundum, i.e. the gemstone sapphire.

• Colorless mineral corundum
• Trace elements give the ruby its colour
• Second hardest mineral

The grinding of a ruby – video

In this video you can see the process and the result when a ruby is cut.

Origin of the ruby – India

India was classically considered the country of origin of ruby for more than two thousand years. More recently, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Afghanistan have uncovered substantial ruby deposits. In Southeast Asia, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam have also long been considered sources of fine rubies.

• Country of origin of the ruby: India
• Otherwise from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Origin of the name of the ruby – the king of gemstones

The name ruby comes from the Middle Latin word “rubinus” = ruby (red stone), or from the Latin “ruber” = red. In Sanskrit, the ruby is called “ratnarai”, which means “king of gems”. Ruby is also a common Hebrew first name for boys and means something like “Behold, a boy!”.

Spiritual meaning of ruby – birthstone July

The ruby is filled with the essence of pure, loving energy. In ancient times, the ruby was considered one of the most powerful gemstones in the universe. In addition, the ruby cleanses the aura of toxic energy and fills one with a sense of bliss, passion, protection and prosperity. It strengthens both the physical and emotional heart. When one is unable to focus, this stone helps one to achieve a more focused consciousness, mental clarity and wisdom. Ruby is the birthstone of July and therefore the birthstone of the zodiac sign Cancer.

• One of the most powerful gems
• Cleanses the aura from toxic energy
• Bliss, passion, protection and prosperity
• More focused consciousness, mental clarity and wisdom
• Birthstone July, Cancer

Use and spiritual significance of the ruby – Video

Here you will learn about the spiritual meaning of the gemstone ruby and its uses.

Buy rubies – quality factors of gemstones

Rubies can fetch the highest price per carat of all colored stones. This makes the ruby one of the most important gemstones in the colored stone market. There are 4 important factors that determine the value of a stone – the 4 Cs. The 4 Cs stand for Color, Clarity, Cut, Carat.

Color is the most significant factor affecting the value of a ruby: fine gemstones are a pure, vivid red to slightly purple. When a ruby’s inclusions affect its transparency or brilliance, they significantly reduce the gemstone’s value. Rubies are usually produced as a mixed cut with brilliant cut crowns and step cut pavilions. Fine quality rubies of more than one carat are very rare, and the price increases significantly as the size increases.

• Color – color of the ruby
• Clarity – Purity of the gemstone
• Cut – Gemstone Cut
• Carat – Carat weight

Recognize real ruby – measure the value of a gemstone

First you should look for blemishes or inclusions. The second step to check if it is a real gemstone, a breath test. To do this, you should hold the ruby in front of your mouth and exhale. A real gemstone does not fog up, because the heat is distributed directly on the stone. For a breath test, however, the ruby must not be dirty or greasy, because this would affect the result. Another test to find out if a ruby is real would be to shine a light through the stone. For this, you just have to hold a flashlight to the ruby to detect small blemishes or air bubbles in the gemstone.

This test is followed by the scratch test. After diamonds, ruby is one of the most durable gemstones used in jewelry. It has a hardness rating of 9 on the Mohs scale. This means that a substance of equal or lesser hardness cannot scratch a ruby. So if you scratch the stone with a coin and it leaves a scratch, you can be sure that it is not a real ruby.

Nevertheless, the most reliable option is of course to have the stone certified by a jeweler. This way you can be one hundred percent sure that it is a genuine sapphire that is worth its money.

1. Look for blemishes or inclusions
2. Breath test
3. Shine a flashlight through the sapphire
4. Perform scratch test
5. Get Saphir certified

Top 5 most expensive rubies in the world – video

Check out the top 5 most expensive rubies in the world sold at auction here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E–w2P-JAs